FAQs

Do lawn bowlers wear white?

The short answer is sometimes. The Osoyoos Lawn Bowling Club does not require members to wear whites during regular play. Club colours and/or whites are requested to be worn for competitions and special events. At all times, players are required to wear flat-soled shoes with minimum grip to avoid damaging the playing surface.

What is a draw?

A draw is the arrangement of teams before play begins. For regular club play, players submit their names to the drawmaster for placement on a team. The drawmaster is responsible for deciding the teams and arranging the draw.

Is a new player allowed to turn up to play without a partner?

Absolutely yes! Lawn bowling is an opportunity to socialize and meet new people as well as get some exercise and have fun. Many players come to the club because they are new to the area and/or new to the sport. At the club they make new friends who help them with bowling and settling into the community.

Does one get much exercise during the game?

Yes! Here is an interesting fact. The green is 34 metres long and a player walks up and down many times during a game. If play lasts all day, a player will walk 3 to 8 kilometers. During play the player might also do 250 or more knee-bends. Lawn bowling is a low impact sport that requires stamina and a moderate level of fitness in order to be enjoyed at the club level. It is an anaerobic type of physical exercise, similar to walking with free weights. It helps to burn calories and works muscle groups not usually exercised. The flexing and stretching in lawn bowling works tendons, joints, ligaments and muscles in the arms, and promotes weight loss.

But isn’t lawn bowling an old-fashioned game?

Lawn bowling is a sport that has endured since the days of St. Thomas A. Beckett. It is right up there with tennis, badminton, lacrosse, soccer and many other sports that have survived through the centuries. For more information, see History of Bowls.

How old do players need to be?

Players can be as young as six or as old as 96. The general perception is that one must be old to be a lawn bowler, which is incorrect and seriously limits the opportunities for many sports-minded people. Nonetheless, while most sports are not suitable for elderly people, it is possible to lawn bowl very well at advanced ages. Many bowlers were national and world champions before they were 30 and a considerable number of club players took up the sport in their teens. Today, the majority of world-class bowlers are under 40 years old.